Ellie Swanison, 18 from Taranaki. I enjoy socialising with my family and friends, fishing and hunting. I came to
Otiwhiti to pursue my career in farming.
I like the variety of work Otiwhiti offers and getting to go to all the different farms and learn on site. I especially
like dog training and being able to have the facilities to train my dog in my spare time. I want to go junior
shepherding and complete my level 4’s and 5’s.
Lachy Matthews, 17 from Apiti. I enjoy rugby and hunting. I enjoy farming and like to see other people’s
perspective on how they approach different farming techniques, especially dog work. I enjoy going to all the
other stations and seeing how they all work and run. After Otiwhiti I want to be a junior shepherd and
eventually into farm management on a sheep & beef or deer farm.
Jayden Miles, age 19 from Rotorua. I enjoy hunting, fishing and socialising with family and friends. I came to Otiwhiti to get practical farming experience and to meet people in all different parts of the agricultural industry and make connections. I enjoy the shearing and dog work at Otiwhiti. I like to see how the different farms operate and being able to go on out work. When I complete level 3s I want to be a junior shepherd on a beef and sheep farm in the hill country. I also want to complete my level 4s.
Luke Lempriere, 18 from Te Akau. I enjoy motor cross, hunting and a variety of sports. I came to Otiwhiti to meet new people in the industry and to learn new things, especially dog training. I like being able to work in different areas with different farmers. After Otiwhiti I want to stay in the agriculture industry and see where the journey takes me.
Bronlee Ireland, 18 from Waikato. I enjoy dancing, music, hunting and dog trials. I came to Otiwhiti to experience new things and gain knowledge in sheep and beef practices and to get interpersonal skills. I like the practical application of knowledge and experiences Otiwihiti has to offer, and the emphasis on dog training,horse riding and classic shepherd skills. I want to be a Shepherd for a few years and carry out level 4’s and 5’s or I want to do a university degree in animal science or work towards management position.
Phillipa Ewens, 18 from Bulls I enjoy hunting, horse riding and netball. I came to Otiwhiti to learn new skills and for dog training and horse mustering. I like how the Valley community and Stations all help cadets. I enjoy learning as a group. After Otiwhiti I want to go overseas farming and eventually become a Station Manager.
Ollie Child, 17 from Whangarei. I enjoy hunting sports, clay target shooting, dog trials, motorsports and all hand piece work crutching dagging shearing. I came to Otiwhiti to learn how to be a good junior shepherd and get my foot in the door at a big station up the valley. I enjoy the people and good staff at Otiwhiti and that we are self-sufficient. After Otiwhiti I want to be a junior shepherd and eventually work my way to being a manger on a sheep and beef farm.
Charlie Herbert, 17 from North Canterbury. I like rugby, hunting and motorbikes. I came here as I wanted to get more experience in the farming industry. I wanted to learn how to train dogs, ride horses and a bit of everything else. I like the steep country as a learning school and change of area. I like meeting new people in the community and training dogs. After Otiwhiti I want to get a good job as a shepherd and get into stud stock.
Jack Overweel, 17 from Wanganui. I like hunting and duck shooting. I wanted to get more practical skills and make lifelong friends at Otiwhiti. To join the Hunterville community. I enjoy hands-on work at Otiwhiti and the cookhouse is gangster. After leaving I want to secure a job as a shepherd in stud / hill country as I enjoy mustering.
Sidney Diamond, 17 from Waverley. I enjoy rugby, hunting and working. I came to pursue my agriculture career and get a better idea of how the agriculture industry works. Otiwhiti has great food and you make lifelong mates. The community culture here is great; they all look out for each other. I like community involvement. I like how Otiwhiti emphasises that all stock work is done horseback. I enjoy dog training and working in the shed shearing, dagging and crutching. I want to get a good job as a junior shepherd and work my way up through the ranks and eventually become a stock agent.
Korbin Myles, 17 from Tauranga. I enjoy mountain biking, american footy and tramping. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to be a farmer so I came to Otiwhiti to experience all aspects of agriculture. I lik3e living in the isolation of the Turakina Valley. I enjoy going to other farms and seeing how they work differently. After Otiwhiti I want to stay in the agricultural industry and see how I feel once I’ve completed my level 3s and see where life takes me.
Abbey Chalmbers, 18 from Auckland. I enjoy socialising and spending time with family and friends. I came to Otiwhiti to get hands-on experience. I like being able to train my dog and see how the different farms and stations all work. After Otiwhiti I plan on going to university to get an Agribusiness Degree
Billie France, 18 from Dannevirke. I like hunting and clay bird shooting. I also enjoy socialising with family and friends. I came here to get more practical experience and learn more. I like being able to experience multiple farms. Otiwhiti helps me set myself up with dogs and community contacts. I want to achieve my level 3’s, 4’s, and travel the world working on different farms and stations getting new experiences.
Carys Pram, 18 from Wanganui. I enjoy hunting and sports. I came to Otiwhiti to learn how to work dogs and get more overall experience. I enjoy how we get to work on all different types of farms in the area. It is a good place to meet people and make friends. After Otiwhiti I want to go shepherding for a few years around this area or down south, then work my way up to Station Manager.
Felix Radman Brown, 18 from Nelson. I like hunting, playing rugby, 4WD and socialising with friends. I came to get a better understanding of farming. To get hands-on experience and achieve my level 3s. I enjoy the good food, nice people and great staff and classroom tutor at Otiwhiti Training School. They are all here to help you every step of the way. The community has good culture and good rugby. After completing my level 3s I want to get a junior shepherding job, complete my level 4s and eventually level 5s and get a good team of dogs and eventually become a farm manager.
Jake Donovan, 18 from Taihape. Enjoys hunting, rugby and socialising with friends and family. I came to Otiwhiti to learn skills, especially horse riding and training dogs. I like the variety of work Otiwhiti offers and being able to go on outwork to meet new people. I enjoy all the horse work and dog training and especially love chops! I will hopefully get a good job as a junior shepherd and try to get my level 4s. I want to build up a good team of dogs to work in the Hunterville Hill Country.
Josh Looney, 17 from Te Puke. I like hunting, rugby and socialising with friends. I came here to get more practical farming skills and meet new people. I like being able to go on heaps of different workplaces and getting to train dogs in your first year. I enjoy seeing how all the different farms work. Hunterville and the Turakina Valley have a good supportive community and rugby club. After Otiwhiti I want to complete my level 4s and start as a junior shepherd. In the future i want to work down south on a sheep and beef farm and hopefully become a farm manager.
